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	<title>Repairing Databases - KeePass</title>
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<table class="sectionsummary"><tr><td width="68px">
<img src="../images/b64x64_kcmdrkonqi.png" class="singleimg" align="left" alt="Help" />
</td><td valign="middle"><h1>Repairing Databases</h1><br />
KeePass can repair corrupted databases in some cases.
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<p>KeePass has quite some features to avoid database file corruption
(transacted database writing, device buffer flushing, ...). However,
data corruption can still be caused by other programs, the system or
broken storage devices (note that KeePass by default is verifying the integrity
of database files immediately after writing them, i.e. at this point of time,
KeePass guarantees file integrity; however, KeePass of course can't do anything
when the data becomes corrupted/unreadable at a later point of time).</p>

<p>In these cases, the database repair functionality might help you.
Here, KeePass tries to read as much data as possible from the corrupted file,
without any integrity checks.</p>






In order to use the repair functionality in KeePass 2.x, first
create a new database file. Then, go <i>'File'</i> -&gt; <i>'Import'</i> and import
the corrupted database file, using <i>'KeePass KDBX (2.x) (Repair Mode)'</i>
as format.


<p>Anyway, if you've lost the master key for the database, the repair functionality
cannot help you. Also, if the header of the database (first few bytes) is
corrupted, you're out of luck too: the repair functionality won't be able
to restore any entries (because the header contains information required
to decrypt the database).</p>

<p>The repair functionality should be seen as last hope. Regularly making
backups of your databases is much better and has to be preferred.
Backups have <i>no</i> cryptographic security implications.
There are plugins that automate the backup process, see the
KeePass plugins page.</p>

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